(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paper feeding apparatus for image formation apparatuses such as printers, facsimiles and copiers, an image formation apparatus with a paper feeding apparatus, and a storage medium storing control program thereof.
(2) Background Art
Paper feeding apparatuses are conventionally used in various apparatuses, e.g. printers and facsimiles, to feed paper from feed trays to image formation units.
Some of these paper feeding apparatuses are constituted to have a feed roller abutted on the uppermost sheet of paper loaded on a paper loading board, and to feed paper with the feed roller rolling toward the printing portion. These paper feeding apparatuses comprise a paper loading board obliquely placed to load sheets of paper, and an abutting surface obtusely arranged to the surface of the paper loading board in the lower part of the paper loading board abutting on the bottom end of the loaded sheets of paper (e.g. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications No. 2002-60068 (FIG. 9) and No. 2001-106367 (FIG. 5)).
Since this abutting surface obtusely abuts the bottom end of the loaded sheets of paper, the bottom end of paper lacking elasticity tend to slip onto the abutting surface, and an influx of a pile of paper into downstream side of paper feed occurs. This does not allow a stable paper loading on a paper loading board.
It is preferable to arrange a stopper on the abutting surface making a right or an acute angle with sheets of paper loaded on the paper loading board. The bottom end of paper does not slip on the stopper. This can prevent an influx of a pile of paper going into downstream side of paper feed.
However, there has been a problem in arranging a stopper in a paper feeding apparatus constituted to feed paper sheet by sheet from a manual feed tray placed in the backside of a paper loading board in addition to an automatic feed to automatically feed paper loaded on the paper loading board sheet by sheet. The stopper interrupts a paper feed from a manual feed tray.
It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a paper feeding apparatus with a switch-over between an automatic feed and a manual feed wherein a stable paper loading is allowed on a paper loading board, and a smooth manual feed is achievable, and to provide an image formation apparatus with this kind of paper feeding apparatus.